The present invention relates to a tape driver for use in a tape recorder or similar devices which use a data cartridge having a drive roller.
Presently, tape recorders and similar devices use a data cartridge which contains magnetic tape wound on a pair of reels. The data cartridge provides a drive roller which is coupled to the reels by a drive belt.
A conventional tape driver includes a pulley mounted on the rotary shaft of a motor. The motor is located under the data cartridge when the data cartridge is loaded into the tape recorder. A conventional tape driver rotates the drive roller so as to turn the reels and run the magnetic tape as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Examined Publication No. 14976/77.
As presently configured the height of a tape recorder or similar device cannot be made less than the sum of the thickness of the data cartridge and the height of the motor in a conventional tape driver. Furthermore, the close proximity of the motor to the magnetic head adversely affects performance.